A/S BRIMMER'S MEETINGS AT THE UNITED NATIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000564

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/04/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF UNAUS UNDP
SUBJECT: A/S BRIMMER'S MEETINGS AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Classified By: Assistant Secretary Esther Brimmer for Reasons
1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (SBU) Summary: Assistant Secretary for International
Organization Affairs Esther Brimmer traveled to New York on
May 27 for a series of meetings with United Nations
officials. Department of Management Under Secretary General
Angela Kane told A/S Brimmer that the United Nations is
enthusiastic about U.S. plans for payment of its budget
arrears. Kane outlined a wide range of UN reforms in
procurement, recruitment, promotion of staff, report
production and information technology, emphasizing the need
for greater efficiency to achieve savings. Under Secretary
General for Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) Inga-Britt
Ahlenius described efforts to restrict the independence of
her office and limit access to its reports; Ahlenius
characterized the selection of a strong successor as key.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator
Helen Clark outlined her plan to offer strategic advice to
recipient countries, in lieu of small projects. Poverty
reduction, climate change and women's empowerment are at the
top of Clark's agenda. Clark expressed concern about some
UNDP accountability methodologies, but agreed that the key to
UN reform is delivery against agreed priorities. Under
Secretary General Holmes urged greater funding for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and emphasized a desire
to work more closely with State/IO. He expressed concern
about the security of Sri Lanka refugee camps, and stated
that the humanitarian situation in Sudan had stabilized.

A/S Brimmer's Meeting with Department of Management Under
Secretary General Angela Kane

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Kane Focuses on UN Reform and Cost Efficiencies
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2. (SBU) In her meeting with Department of Management (DM)
Under Secretary General (U/SYG) Angela Kane, A/S Brimmer,
referring to previous statements by the President and the
Secretary of State, reiterated the USG's commitment to paying
its budget arrears. Kane indicated that she and other
high-ranking officials were aware of these statements, and
that they were enthusiastically received within the
Organization. Kane described the procedures for apprising
Member States of the financial situation of the Organization
and referred to the efforts being taken by the SYG to reform
the budget process, as well as a recent retreat hosted by the
Governments of Switzerland and Malaysia for Member States,
and plans to follow up on that retreat. Kane elaborated on a
host of reform initiatives that she is pursuing to enhance
the efficiency of the Organization, and that she believes
will also result in budget savings. She referred in passing
to a wide number of reforms including in the area of
procurement; recruitment, appointment and promotion of staff;
mobility within the Organization; production of reports by
the Secretariat; need for and use of more modern
informational technology, including better communication and
information tracking and sharing within the organization; as
well as more effective use of UN web sites in regard to
public dissemination of information relating to the
activities of the Organization.


3. (SBU) In the course of this wide-ranging presentation,
Kane expressed appreciation for the approval of recent
reforms within the human resource area (streamlining of
contractual relations),and the support of the USG in
achieving those reforms. Kane also indicated that the
Secretariat is struggling with the implementation of those
reforms. She confessed that the reforms, which the
Secretariat vigorously advocated, have proven more
complicated than anticipated. During this discussion, A/S
Brimmer expressed support in principle for management reforms
that would enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the
Organization and the prospect that these might also achieve
savings in the budget.


4. (SBU) Kane also expressed appreciation to the USG for
helping the Organization in dealing with the Host City and
State authorities on the Capital Master Plan. She invited
A/S Brimmer to have a "dirty tour" of the present facilities
that are to be renovated, as well as a tour of the new
temporary conference and SYG office facilities being
constructed on the North Lawn.

A/S Brimmer's Meeting with Internal Oversight Services
Inga-Britt Ahlenius

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Ahlenius Emphasizes OIOS Challenges
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5. (SBU) Under Secretary General for Internal Oversight
Services Inga-Britt Ahlenius opened the meeting by stating
that the U.S. was the "founding father and mother of OIOS"
and has been the strongest supporter and defender of OIOS
over the years. Ahlenius reported that while things may
appear to be fine on the surface, reality is completely
different. She stated that OIOS faces daily efforts to
restrict their independence and operations and that while the
Department of Management used to be a strong ally, it has
become their biggest antagonist. Ahlenius stressed two
critical areas that the U.S. needs to focus on: ensuring
continued access to OIOS reports by Member States and the
need to select a well-qualified successor for her position.
Ahlenius' mandate expires in July 2010.


6. (SBU) Ahlenius mentioned that in the course of their
work OIOS found a general fatigue among the leadership to
address serious problems within the Organization with the
exception of strong managers like DFS U/SYG Malcorra.
Ahlenius also stated that OIOS continues to face stiff
opposition from certain Member States regarding the
investigations function, which is clearly evident in the
current Fifth Committee negotiations on the OIOS
restructuring proposal for the OIOS Investigation Division.

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Strong Successor, Access to Reports, Critical
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7. (SBU) Regarding access to reports, Ahlenius reported
that she has successfully thwarted attempts, to date, to
restrict access to reports. A/S Brimmer acknowledged that
access to reports and information from OIOS is critical to
the U.S. as it allows Member States to know what is going on
within the Organization. Regarding the selection of the next
U/SYG, Ahlenius stressed that it was vital to select a
well-qualified professional who understands oversight issues
as well as the necessity of vigilantly protecting the
operational independence of OIOS. A/S Brimmer agreed that
the U.S. would engage on this matter.


8. (SBU) During the course of their discussion, A/S Brimmer
expressed support for Bob Appleton as the Director of the
Investigation Division and wondered if the disagreement
between OIOS and the SG will be resolved soon. Ahlenius
replied that she intends to submit her selection to the SG
after the conclusion of the Fifth Committee consideration of
the restructuring proposal.


9. (SBU) A/S Brimmer asked about status of the integration
of the PTF into OIOS. Ahlenius replied by giving a brief
overview of the establishment and work of the PTF over the
last two years. Ahlenius further informed A/S Brimmer that
the specialized white collar crime unit she created within
the Investigation Division to continue the function of the
PTF was nearly fully staffed with seven out of the eight
positions filled and the head of the unit (Amcit) recently
appointed. A/S Brimmer also inquired about the situation
with the UN Office in Nairobi. Ahlenius indicated her
knowledge of the current situation was limited, but that she
was aware of the SG's decision to appoint a new head of
office and, in her mind, essentially demote the previous head.

A/S Brimmer's Meeting with UN Development Programme
Administrator Helen Clark

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New UNDP Administrator's "Vision"
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10. (U) New UNDP Administrator Helen Clark started her
meeting with A/S Brimmer outlining her vision of the
organization as an "empathetic consultant" for developing
world governments. With reference to UNDP's Strategic Plan,
she described an intention gradually to phase out small
projects in favor of a more focused set of programme areas
centering on "upstream" strategic advice to recipient
countries. She acknowledged that this vision might require
new skill sets among UNDP staff. Overall, she saw UNDP's
comparative advantage in its global reach, trusted
relationships with recipients, coordinating role within the
UN system, and intellectual leadership. UNDP could also do
things that bilateral donors and Bretton Woods Institutions
could not because it was so widely trusted and "trust is
invaluable." She noted that UNDP's primary activities in
promoting democratic governance, crisis prevention and
recovery, and sustainable development and environmental
protection, should appeal to the United States. Clark also
emphasized the importance of UNDP's crisis-related
activities, since stability was a precondition for
development; however, she noted that donors were more
supportive of this work than the G-77.


11. (SBU) Clark explained that UNDP was reviewing their donor
base to look at ways to capture new levels of support from
emerging economies like China and India. (China had just
announced at the Executive Board that it was increasing its
core contribution to $ 3.5 million). She found it "odd" that
Norway with its population of 5 million had become UNDP's
largest donor whereas the U.S. had slipped to fifth, and she
inquired about future U.S. support. A/S Brimmer replied that
decisions were in the hands of Congressional appropriators
but that UNDP has a historic base of support, especially if
it continues to make the case that it is meeting critical
needs with evident value added.


12. (U) Clark noted a constructive relationship between UNDP
and the World Bank, including a joint proposal being
developed at the request of the Chief Executives Board to
address vulnerabilities created by the global financial
crisis. She also described fruitful UNDP-IMF collaboration as
part of the Secretary-General's initiative to develop
"Gleneagles scenarios" for scaling up assistance to help
African countries meet the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs),where they were also working closely with G8 sherpas.
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Clark's Top Priorities
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13. (U) Clark highlighted poverty reduction and climate
adaptation as at the top of her agenda where there was a
potential virtuous circle to make greater progress against
the MDGs through investments in climate change adaptation.
She saw a possible "paradigm shift" at Copenhagen: monies for
adaptation were likely to dwarf ODA as well as create space
for developing countries to shape the agenda, which she
described as an opportunity for a "new deal for development."


14. (U) Clark also emphasized women's empowerment as crucial
to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). She
additionally referred to S.C. Res. 1820 and the issue of
sexual violence, which needed intensified effort to identify
effective levers to get results. A/S Brimmer noted the recent
Boxer-Feingold hearings and the depth of bipartisan interest
in making real headway on this issue as a potential resource.
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UNDP Reform and Accountability
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15. (SBU) In response to A/S Brimmer's raising the importance
of a sustained reform effort, Clark referred to the need to
"decode the mantra" of UNDP accountability. She expressed
concern about accountability methodologies that
overemphasized measurable results when some of the most
important objectives (e.g., democratic governance) were hard
to measure, especially in a short time frame. She also noted
political sensitivities in host countries about some
performance measures. On the Afghanistan case, Clark
acknowledged that UNDP, for its part, could have supervised
UNOPS more closely, but that it "took three to tango."
Overall, she agreed with A/S Brimmer that the key to UN
reform was results and delivery against agreed priorities.
A/S Brimmer further emphasized the importance that UNDP
communicate clearly with donors and supporters, as well as
with critics, the rationale behind its strategies and actions.


16. (C) On the North Korea case, Clark said it was important
now to move beyond the past. The previous session of the
Executive Board had authorized re-engagement and they had
just sent a team to start the process of re-establishing an
office and staff. Given developments over the weekend, while
they were not in a position to change gears, they could
nonetheless make haste slowly which she saw as the most
judicious course.
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Arab Human Development Report Unhelpful
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17. (C) Clark alerted A/S Brimmer that the next iteration of
the Arab Human Development Report, which took the theme of
"human security,"
was long, poorly argued, and full of invective, which was in
no one's interest but was hard to manage since it was
authored by external experts. She did not offer specific
detail about the timing of its release.


18. (U) Finally, Clark noted her intent to visit Washington
after she had made an Africa tour.

A/S Brimmer's Meeting with UN Under-Secretary-General for
Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John
Holmes

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Holmes Pleas for Greater OCHA Funding
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19. (SBU) A/S Brimmer next met with John Holmes, the UN
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and
Emergency Relief Coordinator. The discussion ranged from US
funding of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA) to several on-going humanitarian flash points
including Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Sudan and the Gaza strip.


20. (SBU) Holmes opened the meeting by noting that he was
keen to cultivate a stronger relationship with State/IO and
would be sure to call upon A/S Brimmer during his next trip
to Washington. He remarked that OCHA depends heavily on the
generosity of member states since 95 percent of its budget
comes from voluntary contributions. Holmes told A/S Brimmer
that more regular funding from State/IO towards the OCHA
budget would be welcome. A/S Brimmer responded that she
would make the case to Congress for continued contributions
towards OCHA's budget and hoped that the new atmosphere on
the Hill would facilitate support for OCHA. Holmes replied
that he looked forward to working with the new US
administration.
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Sri Lanka Refugee Camps Face Challenges
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21. (SBU) Holmes told A/S Brimmer that he just returned from
his third visit to Sri Lanka this year. He remarked that the
end of the conflict is a good thing, but that the
recently-concluded fighting took a heavy toll on civilians
resulting in unacceptably-high casualties. He went on to
describe the conditions in the IDP camps as bad, but that
this could be remedied over time with the provision of
humanitarian assistance from the UN. He noted that the UN
had the necessary resources, but would need time to upgrade
facilities in the camps. However, the government of Sri Lanka
(GoSL) imposed restrictions on access to the camps that makes
the work of the UN and NGOs more difficult. Holmes told
Brimmer that he hoped that the access issue would be resolved
quickly.


22. (C) Holmes remarked that the nature of the camps troubles
the UN. The GoSL has essentially established internment camps
for the Tamils that had lived in LTTE-controlled territory.
Holmes understood the security concerns of the GoSL, but
feels that improved screening procedures could be put in
place that would allow the separation of LTTE fighters from
the civilians. The vast majority of people in the camps who
do not represent a security threat could be released. The UN
also remains troubled by the militarized nature of the camps.
While the GoSL wants UN support for the camps, the UN wants
to avoid providing assistance to what may become internment
camps. Holmes informed A/S Brimmer that the Secretary-General
pushed the GoSL on the importance of reconciliation. Holmes
personally has doubts about the intentions of the GoSL
although he admitted that they said the right things to the
SG.
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Brimmer Urges Appointment of Senior Coordinator in Pakistan
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23. (SBU) A/S Brimmer noted the importance that the US gives
to humanitarian coordination in Pakistan given the
humanitarian crisis resulting from conflict-induced
displacement. She urged the UN to appoint a senior,
experienced humanitarian coordinator in Islamabad to manage
the crisis. Holmes replied that he would speak with the SG
on this topic on May 28. He noted that the appointment must
be carefully considered due to sensitivities within the
Pakistani government and the UN system.
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Sudan Humanitarian Situation
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24. (C) On Sudan, Holmes stated that the negative climate
sparked by the government of Sudan (GoS) decision to expel
international NGOs on March 4 has changed for the better over
the past couple of months. He credited the work of US
Special Envoy Gration with contributing to the new approach
of the GoS. Holmes described the situation as contained with
no expectation of a looming humanitarian crisis. But he added
that a number of challenges remain including increasing
humanitarian services during the upcoming rainy season and
handling increasing security threats to aid agencies.
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Poor Humanitarian Access in Gaza
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25. (C) A/S Brimmer told Holmes that the US continues to
press for improved humanitarian access to the population of
Gaza and remains a strong supporter of the United Nations
Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Holmes stated that the
crossing points are largely closed to all commodities except
for the most basic relief supplies. The UN is unable to move
other humanitarian aid or reconstruction materials into Gaza.
He remarked that it is unacceptable humanitarian aid is not
allowed to freely pass and that the people of Gaza are being
used as bargaining chips.
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Worker Safety and Security a Concern
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26. (SBU) Holmes concluded his remarks by noting negative
trends in terms of humanitarian access and the safety and
security of aid workers in a number of countries including
Somalia and Afghanistan. He sees growing demands for
humanitarian response, especially in relation to climate
change. Securing the funding for the necessary humanitarian
interventions presents a challenge to OCHA.
RICE